Title: ash-Shama’il al-Muhammadiyyah | الشمائل المحمدية
Author: Abu ‘Eesa Muhammad bin ‘Eesa bin Sawrah at-Tirmidhi (d. 279H) | ابو عيسى محمد بن عيسى بن سورة الترمذي
Scribe: As-Sayyid Muhammad Faydhi ibn ‘Umar al-Husayni | السيد محمد فيضي ابن عمر الحسيني
Script: Naskh
Date: End of Sha’ban, 1165H | 1752CE
Size: 18.5 X 11 CM
Folios: [1] + 87 + [2]
Description: 13 Lines/Page | European Laid Paper with Watermarks that appear to be like grapes or floral design mostly found near the spine | The manuscript is gild-illuminated with gold illustration and gold borders with sprinkling of gold dust on the pages (التذهيبات), which have now turned a black-ish/grey color. The scribe and owner notes in the colophon that he sought the decoration of this manuscript during his travel from Baghdad to the Dar as-Sultan al-‘Ulya in Ottoman Constantinople (Istanbul) from Isma’eel bin ash-Shaykh Salih al-Mudarris Al-Baghdadi who lived next to Hadhrat ash-Shaykh ‘Abdul-Qaadir al-Kaylani |There are Hawashi with Shuruhaat (explanations) cited from Al-Mannawi and Mirek Shah along with annotations of differences in other Nusakh of Shama’ail, indicating Muqabalah with other Nusakh. | A Fahras (table of contents) was added to this manuscript by ‘Abdullah Al-Khayzarani on the 25th of Dhil Qa’dah, 1247H (April 25, 1832 CE)| The binding is Ottoman and in good condition with gold blind tooling done on both sides. The binding contains a flap typical of Ottoman era manuscripts. |
Incipit: الحمد لله وسلام على عبداه الذين اصطفى. قَالَ الْحَافِظُ أَبُو عِيسَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى بْنِ سَوْرَةٍ التِّرْمِذِيّ: بَابُ مَا جَاءَ فِي خَلْقِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ;
Explicit: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ، قَالَ: أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ عَوْفٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ : «هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ دِينٌ، فَانْظُرُوا عَمَّنْ تَأَخُذُونَ دِينَكُمْ»
Provenance: Obtained from a retired Islamic arts dealer based in New York. Manuscript was written & owned by the scribe in Baghdad: As-Sayyid Muhammad Faydhi ibn ‘Umar al-Husayni in 1165H. It was then owned by As-Sayyid ‘Abdur-Rahman, known among his family as: “…” (the word is written without nuqat, so it is not clear) Al-Makki| There is another ownership note: قد ال هذا الكتاب المستطاب بفضل الله الملك الوهاب لنوبة الراجي الفتوح من الكريم الخلاق قميناسي زاده الشيخ عبد الرزاق غفر الله له ولوالديه ولمن ينتمي إليه أمين “This book has come under the ownership of the one who desires the bounty of Allah, the King and Bestower of everything, under the ownership of the one who seeks victory from the most noble, Qaminasi Zadeh ash-Shaykh ‘Abdur-Razzaaq, may Allah forgive him and his parents and those who lean towards him. Aameen” and it is dated 1320H (1902 CE). A Khatm (seal) appears next to this ownership note with the name “Abdur-Razzaq” and a date 1319H| A Waqf note appears on the first first fly leaf, but I have not been able to decipher it yet.
Research Notes: N/A
Accession #: Ms.136c